Meet The Inspire Project

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The Inspire Project – BIO

These three hit songwriters have collaborated on each other’s projects throughout their long friendship, but after years of successful separate careers, they “accidentally” came together as a band for a friend’s cancer fundraiser at the Folk Project in Morristown, New Jersey. Their premier performance was described as “Positively electric!” and it was clear to everyone present that musical magic was happening. They were offered another performance date before they even left the stage.

Since then, their authentic brand of original music, fun, and friendship have made them crowd favorites at venues like New York’s Arlene’s Grocery and The Rockwood Music Hall, and as headliners at the Folk Project and Music at the Mansion concert series.

With the release of their new 6 song EP, The Inspire Project is living up to their mission, “Making the world a better place…one song at a time.”

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When three hit songwriters “accidentally” came together as a band for a friend’s cancer benefit, the musical magic known as The Inspire Project was born.

Tanya Leah, Lorraine Ferro, and Ilene Angel have collaborated on each other’s projects throughout their long friendship, but now, after years of successful separate careers, they have joined forces to put their unique brand of musical goodness into the world.

With each woman singing lead on her own songs and the blend of their three-part harmony, The Inspire Project sets itself apart from the rest by the meaningful subject matter of their songs and by living up to its name.

With lyrics that don’t shy away from personal struggle or profound joy, the band boldly embraces authenticity and vulnerability in a world hungering for both. Whether in delicate whispers or powerful declarations, their rich vocal textures pack an emotional punch, while at the same time, their funny banter and engaging stories behind the songs leave people feeling like they’ve just spent an evening with their three new best friends.

Together, they are redefining what it means to be artists, and creating music that is both new and yet, destined to be classic in its appeal.

As individual artists and writers, the trio of Leah, Ferro, and Angel have had formidable careers…

Tanya Leah has had four #1 hits and a host of other Top 40 songs and albums on which her work appeared in addition to film and TV. As a musician, she’s been a sideman and appeared on stages with John Sebastian, Dee Carstensen, Jonatha Brooke, Alison Krause, Ani DeFranco and many more. And she is a much sought after producer, arranger, guitarist, singer and songwriter.

Lorraine Ferro gained recognition over her 30 year career appearing on NBC-TV’s hit show The Voice, performing on worldwide stages, recording, penning multi-platinum songs, producing vocals and coaching artists. Lorraine received a Dove Award for “Inspirational Song of the Year,” taught artists such as Lana Del Rey, and is currently an instructor for Life Center Stage, an organization dedicated to breaking stigma through the arts.

Ilene Angel started her training classically at Northwestern University and then, The Juilliard School. She had a #1 Disney song, was the winner of both the Abe Olman Award from the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame, as well as the Global Voices for Change contest, and has a song in the international hit show, Motherhood the Musical. Her most recent solo album, In Color, features a duet with the legendary Kenny Loggins.

The Inspire Project is the band’s debut six-song EP. It is available now wherever music is sold and streamed.

Ilene Angel

Vocals, Piano, Keys, Tambourine sometimes

Ilene Angel Bio

Ilene Angel’s multifaceted career has taken her from the stages of Carnegie Hall to the top of the Billboard charts, and from writing books, blogs, and essays to advocating for issues of social justice.

Pursuing both voice and piano, she got her bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, before returning to her native New York to attend The Juilliard School.

Angel’s passion always remained songwriting, so she switched venues from concert halls to nightclubs and local New York TV shows, where she began performing her own songs.

After winning the prestigious Songwriters’ Hall of Fame Abe Olman Award, Angel embarked on a fateful trip to Nashville, where she attended a writers’ night at the Bluebird Café and fell in love with the songwriting town. She moved there shortly thereafter.

However, it was not a Nashville country song that would become Angel’s first big hit, but a #1 Radio Disney song titled “I Don’t Think About It,” recorded by Emily Osment from the TV show Hannah Montana.

After penning the Disney hit with co-writer Sue Fabisch, the songwriting duo went on to win the Global Voices for Change songwriting competition and followed that up with the widely popular “Costco Queen’ from Fabisch’s hit show Motherhood the Musical.

While expanding her artistic palette in Nashville, she also worked tirelessly on two presidential campaigns, and eventually became an advocate for issues of social justice that impact millions.

While frequently entertaining friends, colleagues, and complete strangers with tales of her life, Angel penned her first book, In Search of George Stephanopoulos – a True Story of Life, Love, and the Pursuit of a Short Greek Guy.

In an effort to gain fans for her book, she started the blog In Search of…, the popularity of which led to her becoming a contributing writer for HuffPost and then Medium and Thrive Global.

Eventually, Angel returned to New York, and began recording the album, In Color, with Tanya Leah at the helm as producer. Together, Angel and Leah, enlisted the talents of a dizzying array of Grammy-winning musicians, including the iconic Kenny Loggins, who joined Angel for the duet “Friends Like Me & You.”

Keeping in the spirit of inspiring others, Ilene is now one-third of the band, The Inspire Project,along with Tanya Leah and Lorraine Ferro.

Together, the trio of longtime friends and hit songwriters have embarked on a new chapter, one in which they bring not only their talents to audiences, but also, the possibility of dreams realized, not just for themselves, but for their listeners as well. The Inspire Project is their new self-titled debut EP.

Even More about ILENE

Lorraine Ferro

Vocals, Cajon, Percussion, Piano sometimes

Lorraine Ferro Bio

With a career that spans 30 years, multi-platinum hit songwriter and ‘ferrocious’ vocalist Lorraine Ferro is a diminutive dynamo. Her deeply emotional voice has been compared to vocal luminaries like Janis Joplin and Ann Wilson of “Heart.”

Ferro was on the 3rd season of the NBC-TV hit show, The Voice and she has shared the stage with a roster of luminaries as diverse as Lesley Gore (“It’s My Party”) to the rock band, Blackmore’s Night, to Lady Gaga.

Ms. Ferro’s songs have garnered numerous awards including a Dove Award for “Inspirational Song of the Year” and “Outstanding Pop Song” at the Outmusic Awards; and her songs “Adonai” and “Stand” both became #1 CCM multi-platinum hits.

In addition to her singing and writing, she is also a fiercely passionate artist coach and vocal producer, believing that when we free our voices, we free ourselves. She taught for many years at The Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in NYC, and has spent the last seven years as a teaching artist with Life Center Stage in New Jersey, creating innovative workshops and lessons for an organization focused on wellness and healing through the arts.

Over the years, Lorraine Ferro toured with a number of original bands that ran the gamut from triple A to heavy rock, and her latest venture is something she is super excited about! Acoustic trio, The Inspire Project is a true testament to lifelong friendships in 3-part harmony. Award winning songwriters Tanya Leah, Ilene Angel and Lorraine Ferro just finished their 6-song debut EP, that is a sample of their authentic take on how music can make a difference in the world.

Even More about LORRAINE

Tanya Leah

Vocals, Guitars, Everything sometimes.

Tanya Leah Bio

Tanya Leah is an award-winning, multi platinum-selling songwriter/artist whose work has been featured on many albums, and in film and TV.

A favorite at New York’s Bitter End in Greenwich Village when she started out, Leah played there regularly, allowing her to hone her craft and begin recording and releasing her own songs.

She went on to tour with her own music as well as being a sideman for other artists, sharing the stage with John Sebastian, Dee Carstensen, Jonatha Brooke, Alison Krause, Ani DeFranco and many more.

As a vocalist, she was a favorite on other songwriters’ demos, and landed national jingles for Coca-Cola, M&Ms, and Downy.

She traveled the NY-Nashville-LA songwriting circuit and her first song that was recorded by another artist also became her first #1 hit. Around that same time, she and Lindy Robbins won the Grand Prize in the Unisong International Song contest. Those events helped land her her first publishing deal and launched her songwriting career.

It was during that time in Nashville that she recorded her first full-length album, “Emerging.”

Since then, Tanya has had three more songs reach number one, as well as a number of gold and platinum records and singles that have been in the top forty. The list of artists who have recorded her songs includes Wynonna Judd, Melinda Doolittle, Agnes Carlsson, Lesley Gore, Natalie Grant, and many more. Her songs have also been heard in numerous TV shows such as How I Met Your Mother, Dawson’s Creek, The Hills, and others.

In 2011, Leah’s father, an artist and musician himself, suffered a devastating, incapacitating stroke, which forever changed the trajectory of her life and career. After living in Nashville for ten years, she put her work on hold and moved back to NY to help with his caregiving. In an effort to lift his spirits and soothe him, she wrote a collection of songs that became her highly acclaimed Roses For Panjo record, which was re-released with an additional new song in August, 2020.

While back in NY, Leah reconnected with friend and collaborator, Ilene Angel, and produced her In Color album, which was featured in Parade and included a duet with Kenny Loggins that Leah co-wrote.

Most recently she is excited to be working on a new collaboration with Ilene, and another uber-talented long-time friend, Lorraine Ferro. Together, they are the band The Inspire Project.

Currently, Tanya Leah lives in Spuyten Duyvil, NY with her lovely and ridiculously talented musical-theater-writing husband, Arnie Roman.

Even More about TANYA

Hear Them Here!

I WILL BE (Tanya)

MY STORY (Ilene)

TO LOVE AGAIN (Lorraine)

A LITTLE BIT OF HERO (Tanya)

IN COLOR (Ilene)

CLOUDS ACROSS THE MOON (Lorraine)

Take Us With You!

The Inspire Project Downloadables

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Album cover – Promo Photo

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“These women are highly skilled vocalists and they are beast songwriters. And when you get all three of them in a room together and press record, crazy magic happens.“

Everett Bradley (BonJovi, Bruce Springsteen, Seal)

“This amazing band has helped me through my darkest times and my best times. Ever since I started listening to them, I have looked at my life differently.”

Olivia P.

“It was as if you were channeling what was in my heart.”

Carolyn M.

“The Inspire Project is the music we’ve been waiting for. The uplifting lyrics and powerful sound of this band will move your spirit and fill your heart with all kinds of love.”

Joseph Fenity (Rolling Stone)